Bearing for piano-actions



F. C. BILLINGS. BEARING FOR PIANO ACTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

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Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

FREDERICK C. BILLINGS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BEARING FOR PIANO-ACTIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed November 8, 1912. Serial No. 730,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. BIL- LINGS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, Milwaukee county, \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bearings for Piano- Actions, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in bearings for piano actions, and the object of my invention is to construct a bearing for tho working-parts of piano actions comprising a threaded metal bushing and a threaded metal center-pin, pivot or arbor.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bearing for piano actions comprising a threaded center pin arranged to be securely held in place against rotary movement, and a bushing having threaded engagement with said pin which bushing is arranged for the support of a working part of the action, and said center pin arranged to be rotated to provide for an axial adjust ment of the bushing, which may be more economically placed in position than the bearings, including the felt bushings, which are now used.

lVith the above purposes in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows in elevation my improved bearing as applied to the pivotal connection between the hammer-butt and the hammerbutt flange carried by the centerrail of an upright piano; Fig. 2 is an enlarged edge view of the hammer-butt illustrating in section my improved bearing; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, showing my improved bearing as applied between the hammer-butt and the hammer-butt flange.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: the numeral 1 designates the center-rail, 5 a wooden hammer-butt flange which is secured to the center-rail by means of the screw 6. The uppermost end of the hammer-butt flange is bifurcated in order that the ears 7 are produced, and each ear is perforated in order to form the bearings 8.

The numeral 9 designates the hammerbutt, 10 the hammer-head, 11 the hammer, 12 the hammer-shank which is secured to the hammer-butt in a common manner, and 13 the back-stop carried by the shank lat secured to the hammer-butt.

The numeral 15 designates the jack of usual construction which engages and operates the hammer-butt.

The numeral 16 designates an ear which is formed integral with the hammer-butt and providedwith an opening 17 The numeral 18 I designates the metallic bushing which is internally threaded throughout its length and externally fluted, knurled or otherwise roughened so that, when it is inserted in the opening 17 in the car 16 of the hammer-butt, it will be frictionally held in place both against lengthwise movement and rotatable movement relative to the opening.

The numeral 19 designates the center-pin which, in the form shown is threaded throughout its length, is provided with a slot 20 in its end so that it may be turned by a screw driver or the like and is of a length substantially the same as the width of the hammer-butt flange.

In assembling the working parts of a piano action and in equipping the working parts of a piano action with the bearings ofmy improved construction the one part, as for instance the hammer-butt, is held rigidly while the bushing, having the knurled exterior, is forced therethrough and is secured in place by its knurled surface. The other working part, for instance the hammer-butt flange, is then held fixed, while the threaded center-pin is forced by turning it through the ears of the flange and through the internally threaded bushing, the threads of the center-pin forming or cutting threads in the ears of the flange, so that the centerpin will be frictionally held in said ears both against axial or longitudinal movement and rotary movement relative to the flange.

The threads of the bushing must necessarily be accurately cut or formed to register perfectly with the threads on the centerpin, in order that a free rotary movement obtains without any appreciable looseness or veering of the bushing relative to the centerpin. In order that there be the least amount of axial movement of the bushing and hammer-butt carried thereby relative to the center-pin which is secured against axial movement in the flange, the thread of both the bushing and the center-pin is cut with a minimum of pitch.

A distinct advantage arising from the use of my improved bearing is that the bushing and center-pin may be employed in the present day actions and work to equal advantage with either wooden flanges or metallic flanges.

By the provision of a threaded center--pin, pivot or arbor, much time and annoyance is saved and obviated for the reason that the threaded pin will be readily introduced into the ears of the flange and its threads automatically cut a seat in the ears which will tend to hold without extraneous securing elements, such as bushings, as are common, and which forms a bearing in the center-pin which is not likely to be loosened by wear. To such a threaded center-pin I mount a sleeve which is internally threaded and eX- ternally roughened whereby it may be secured into the hammer butt by simply forcing same into the butt. This threaded bearing between the sleeve in the hammer butt and the center-pin therefore offers a surface of maximum area thus tending to wear a great length of time, and a surface also which will hold a lubricant.

I claim:

1. In combination with a working part of a piano action and a fixed support therefor, a bearing comprising a center-pin having a threaded connection with said support, and a metal bushing secured in said Working part and journaled on said center-pin.

2. In a piano action, a connection for the relatively movable parts thereof, comprising Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the a center-pin provided with means so that, when it is seated, it will be held against movement in one of the parts of said action, and a metallic bushing rotatably mounted on said pin and provided with means to hold it against axial movement when seated in the connected part.

3. In a piano action a connection for the relatively movable parts thereof, comprising a. screw-threaded pin seated against movement in one of the parts of said action, and an internally screw-threaded bushing mounted on said pin and seated against movement relative to the connected part.

I. A bearing for piano actions, comprising an internally threaded bushing and a threaded center-pin.

5. A bearing for piano actions, comprising an internally threaded bushing and a roughened external surface, and a threaded center-pin.

6. In a piano action a bushing which is internally threaded and externally roughened, a working part of the piano action having an opening into which said bushing is forced, so that it will be frictionally held therein, a support for said working part, and a center-pin threaded into said support and said bushing.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK G. BILLINGS.

YVitnesses:

MARY E. HUGHES, Gno. E. BALLHORN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

